Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Sunshine On A Cloudy Day

Today is the first rainy day of the fall here in Northern California. With the rain comes the official end of the good weather we've enjoyed for the past 6 months. I was speaking with some friends recently who were recalling places they've lived or times in their lives when they remember it raining every day for weeks on end. The rain wasn't the worst part. The most memorable thing about those stretches in our lives was how depressing it was to go without sunshine.

Wait for it...

This got me to thinking.

If you've ever flown on an airplane, you've probably traveled on days where, on the ground, it was overcast and dreary. But have you ever flown through the clouds only to find that on the other side of them was a perfectly sunny day? I have. It's like in a simple climb of 30,000 feet, you've entered another world.

There are times when we're in a funk. The sun just hasn't shined in our lives in quite awhile. We're stuck in the quagmire caused by the rain. In those times, it's completely unnatural to think about the fact that on the other side of those clouds is a perfectly sunny sky, radiant and clear.

There are times in our lives when we're just going through it. There are times when it's flat out depressing. But these are the times when we have to consciously remember and believe that God is still there on the other side of the storms of life. Sometimes He'll show Himself to you and rescue you from the storm, and other times we just have to go through it, but He'll be there with us through it all. The reality is that the sun (Son) is still there, whether we see it (Him) or not. Our view is simply blocked by the clouds. But when we don't have the luxury of hopping on a plane to physically rise above the clouds, we have our faith. Faith is the vehicle to pierce through the obstacles which stand between us and a clear view of God.

Maybe you're going through a storm in life right now. If you're not, you will. Welcome to life. Just remember, despite the clouds and rain, God is there with a radiance more powerful and brilliant than the sun. Let your faith transport you above those nasty clouds to a place of peace and comfort.